Karnataka caste census extended, school timings altered
Bengaluru: The ongoing Social and Educational Survey, widely referred to as the caste census, that was scheduled to end on Tuesday has been extended, as per the memo issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy.
The department has altered the school timings, when it reopens on October 8 after the Dasara holidays, to allow teachers to complete the survey work.
The government and aided schools in the Greater Bengaluru area will have classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from October 8 to 24. The teachers who are appointed as enumerators will take part and complete the survey work after school hours during this period.
In the rest of the state, all government and aided schools will have classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from October 8 to 12.
The memo dated October 6 refers to a letter from the Backward Classes Welfare Department stating that more time was needed to complete the survey.
It said the decision altering the school timing has been taken in the academic interest of the students and to ensure that classes do not suffer due to the survey after the mid-year vacations.
The survey, being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, began on September 22 and was scheduled to conclude on October 7.
The survey was delayed in the Greater Bengaluru area at the request of the authorities for training and necessary preparations. The survey is currently underway.
A formal announcement by the Commission regarding the extension of the survey has been made. Conducted at an estimated cost of ₹420 crore, the exercise uses a 60-question questionnaire and is being carried out scientifically, officials said.
The government had spent ₹165.51 crore on an earlier Social and Educational Survey in 2015, which was later discarded.
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Former minister C M Ibrahim announces to launch new regional party for Karnataka
Kalaburagi: Two years after being expelled from the Janata Dal (Secular), former minister C.M. Ibrahim has announced that he will launch a new regional political party in Karnataka on January 24, reported Deccan Herald.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Nava Karnataka Nirmana Andolana in Kalaburagi on Sunday, Ibrahim confirmed the birth of the new party.
The 77-year-old politician stated he would soon be meeting with other like-minded individuals to choose a symbol for the party.
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Ibrahim emphasised that the organisation would be guided by the principles of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna and the architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.
A veteran politician, Ibrahim served as Union Civil Aviation Minister during the tenure of H.D. Deve Gowda as Prime Minister and later headed the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (Secular). He was expelled from the JD(S) in 2023 on charges of anti-party activities.
His exit from the party followed sharp differences over the JD(S) decision to ally with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the then state president of the JD(S), Ibrahim had publicly criticised the alliance, claiming it was finalised without his knowledge. He had also reportedly convened meetings of his supporters and expressed support for the INDIA bloc.
